Coal-tipple.



PATPNTED AUG.13,'1907.

Y J'. s. PATPS.

GOAL TIPPLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 15, 1907.

nl: Nokms Pern-Rs co., umswmsron, n. c.

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JAMES S. PATES, OF MONONGAHELA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COAL-TIPPLE Speeication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed March 15, 1907. Serial No. 862,549.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. PATES, a resident of Monongahela, in thecounty of Washington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Coal-Tipples, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide automatically-acting meansfor shaking or jolting the platform of a coal tipple while tilting anddumping a car, so that the coal will be discharged gradually, beginningwith the tiltingr of the platform.

When a car is tilted by an even or uninterrupted movement, the greaterpart of the coal is not dislodged until the inclination of the car issufficient to cause it to move therefrom 2n-masse, the result being thatthe screens are overloaded and much coal passes thereover which shouldpass through. By interrupting the movement and thus imparting to the caran interrupted upward movement, as herein proposed, the coal passes tothe screens in a substantially even stream and is thoroughly screened.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of part of atipple structure, with the improved mechanism connected to the tiltingplatform thereof. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, broken, of thejolt-imparting mechanism. Figs. 3 and 4 are crosssectional views onlines 3 3 and 4`4, respectively, of Fig. 2.

The tipple structure may be of any preferred design, 2 indicating thetilting platform thereof, and 3 the platform axis. i

4 are the car stopping and holding horns, the construction and operationof which are well known in the art.

5 designates a cylinder and 6 the piston therein, having its rod 7 soconnected by line 8 to platform as to be drawn outward as the platformtilts. The inner face of the cylinder 5 is formed with a longitudinalseries of recesses or ports, here shown in the form of elongated groovesl0, each extending longitudinally of the cylinder and of greater lengththan the thickness of piston 6. Adjacent grooves are separated byintervening smooth portions ll of the cylinder bore, the latter formingparts of the normal diameter of the cylinder which the piston closelyfits.

In operation, cylinder 5 is filled with a suitable liquid or air, withthe piston in the lower portion of the cylinder when the platform startsto tilt. As the piston is drawn upward the only escape of the liquid orair above it is through grooves l0, through which it Hows around thepiston to the lower portion of the cylinder. At such times the movementis not retarded, but when the piston registers with the groove-operatingportions ll of the cylinder interior, the ensuing compressing of theliquid or air above the piston causes the latter to halt or move moreslowly and impart a cushioned jolt or jerk to the platform and to thecar thereon. The successive jerks thus afforded during the raising ofthe platform result in the coal being discharged from the car in asubstantially uniform stream, and a thorough screening results.

An upwardly opening check-valve l2 for port 13 in piston 6 permits thelatter to lower to starting position, the air or liquid freely passingthis valve into the upper portion of the cylinder. For returning agravity dumping platform, such as here shown, to horizontal position, apower cylinder I4 may be provided, with its piston connected by line l5with the platform.

I prefer to employ a liquid, such as a suitable oil, rather than air asthe checking medium, as the latter is too elastic, particularly for thefirst portion of the movement. However, the invention is not limited inthis regard, and by the term liquid appearing in the claim I include anyand all forms of liquids, gases, and vapors that might be used.

The operation of the jolt or jerk imparting mechanism is entirelyautomatic, requiring no attention on the part of the operator, and doesnot interfere in any manner with the operating parts of the tipplestructure.

I claim:

l. 'Ihe combination of car-tilting means, a cylinder', a piston thereinconnected to the tilting-means, and means for alternately checking andreleasing the piston as it moves outward.

2. The combination of car-tilting means, a cylinder, a piston thereinconnected to the tilting means, and automatically acting means forchecking and releasing the piston.

3. The combination of a tilting' car support, a cylinder, a pistontherein connected to the Support and movable therewith when tilting',and means for passing liquid intermittently from in front of the pistonas the latter moves outward.

4. The combination of a tilting car support, a cylinder', a pistontherein connected to and movable with the support, and means operativeintermittently for passing liquid from in front of the piston to therear thereof during the tilting movement.

The combination of a tilting car support, a cylinder having a series ofseparated recesses in its inner wall extending longitudinally of thecylinder and open only to the latter, and a piston in the cylinderconnecte dto and movable with the car support.

' G. The Combination of a tilting car support, a cylinder,

:1 piston therein connected to the cur support, depressions in the innerWull o1 the cylinder, the depressions extending longitudinally of thecylinder and each of greater length than the thickness of the piston,adjacent depressions being' separated by uninterrupted smooth portionsof the cylinder Wall.

7. The combination of :L tilting car support, n cylinder, n pistontherein connected to the car support, meuns for intermittently checkingthe passage of liquid from in front of the piston during the tilting ofthe support, and 10 a check-vulve on the piston adapted to open duringthe return stroke of the piston.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

